News & Events Archives - Page 9 of 17

How hands-on education can help get you the job you want

By The Globe and Mail Content Studio | November 9, 2021 | Originally featured in The Globe and Mail

When Larissa Meleiro walked into her first day of her hospitality internship at a Hampton by Hilton hotel in Toronto, she knew she was ready to be there.

“The hands-on training I received at George Brown gave me the skills to handle different situations that I encountered,” explains Meleiro, who enrolled in the Hotel Operations Management course at Toronto’s George Brown College in 2019. “I went to a college for that exact reason, because I was looking for technical skills and hands-on learning.”

Employability rules: Students in Canada are prioritizing programs that offer skills training

By Nicole Edwards | November 5, 2021 | Originally featured in The Globe and Mail

Krysten Payne, whose father was a teacher, remembers being strongly encouraged to choose university over college after high school.

Payne, 29, describes himself as someone who likes to work with his hands – his first clue that university maybe wasn’t the best route to his dream job. Still, to please his family, Payne struck a compromise with his parents. He took applied technology courses after high school at Antigua and Barbuda Institute of Technology. From there, he studied at Toronto’s Seneca College, in a transfer program that qualifies graduates for university degree programs.

Developing Canada’s Green Talent Pipeline

Date: November 12, 2021
Location: Webinar

Though Canada has nearly 30 years to meet its goal of net-zero emissions by 2050, the impacts of climate change are already evident and progress can no longer be delayed. One of the most urgent requirements is ensuring Canada has its green talent pipeline in place. With the sector estimating a need for nearly 250,000 workers by 2029, the next generation of graduates must be ready to lead the green transition.

In partnership with ECO Canada, Polytechnics Canada hosted a green talent panel to discuss how our members are preparing students to be active participants in Canada’s emerging green economy.

Working together to establish more opportunities for students in Ontario

By Dr. Chris Whitaker | November 3, 2021 | Originally featured on Chris' Corner

The recently tabled Supporting People and Businesses Act included a proposed initiative by the provincial government to expand credentials in the public college system to include applied master’s degrees.

This is very encouraging news and, if passed, something that would help keep more talent and skill in Ontario. Applied master’s degrees offered by Ontario colleges would create opportunities to develop critical skills and specialties within the province.

How experiential learning builds students’ confidence and skills

By Samantha Edwards | November 3, 2021 | Originally featured in The Globe and Mail

At Kwantlen Polytechnic University in British Columbia, the bachelor of psychiatric nursing students learn a holistic approach to mental health care. Fittingly, their own education takes a holistic approach too.

Students learn theory, practical skills, and applied research in clinical settings, but they also work within the community to observe the gaps in our current mental health system.

Green educational infrastructure: A building block for just transition

By Alexandra Apavaloae | November 2, 2021

It is no longer necessary to expound on the importance of taking action to address climate change. Canada’s federal government and every major political party have committed to addressing the problem. There is widespread support among Canadians and, indeed, our global counterparts. Increasingly, we are seeing larger emitters – companies, sectors, provinces – committing to a greener future. What remains are the specifics of a just transition.

Why industry leaders should be looking to Canada’s polytechnic schools

By The Globe and Mail Content Studio | November 1, 2021 | Originally featured in The Globe and Mail

Trish Josephs knows what industry customers want from polytechnic institutions. As an executive at many businesses over the past 30 years, she liaised with schools about the kind of workers industry needed.

College research and innovation is helping Canada build back better

By Dr. Krista Holmes | October 29, 2021

Making inroads for college researchers amidst Canada’s university-dominated research and innovation landscape often feels like climbing uphill in mud. This feeling persisted long before the pandemic and has only been amplified since. But, like climbing uphill in mud, it’s an invigorating adventure. The work of our researchers is too often overlooked and undervalued, and it’s long overdue that we start talking more about it.

Applied research should be at the forefront of innovation strategy

By Cody McKay | October 20, 2021 | Originally featured in The Toronto Star

Successive governments have struggled to address Canada’s weak innovation performance. To solve our most pressing challenges — climate change, an aging population and inequality among them — new solutions are critical.

One thing is clear: Canada’s innovation shortcomings will not improve until its small- and mid-sized businesses are active contributors. Applied research is built to enable these contributions.